Bulb setter



March 18, 1952 E. c. CHATFIELD BULB SETTER Filed Jan. 25, 1948 'ablein all garden books and magazines, and the ,7 1

Patented Mar. 18, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BULB ss'rrsn Earl o. Chatfield, oak Park, 111. Application January 23, 19t48', Serial No. 4,017

6 Claims. 7 (Cl. 294-50.?) 1

The present invention relates to a bulb setter it on the tubular portion H is provided so that particularly suited for planting tulips, gladioli, the handle 16 may be removed during the ship-.- and other similar types of bulbs. 1 ment of the bulb setter.

One of the most frequent causes of disappoint: The cylindrical body member I I is preferably ment for the amateur gardener is the failure of ormed 'so as tohave a diameter sufiicient to his bulb plants to produce satisfactory flowers. ke an opening large enough for the largest One of the principal causes of this failure is the .type of bulbs to be planted. 'Onthe exterior of inaccuracy with which such bulbs are planted "the body member ll suitable indicia may be proin spite of adequate instructions readily obtained toindicate the depth to which the device "to be inserted for planting different size and types of bulbs. These indicia, therefore, serve as instructions which are furnished by seed houses; to the purchaser of the bulbs. Bulbs that are; guides for the planting of such smaller types of planted too deep or too shallow do not produce f bulbs as tulips and narcissus. as good flowers as bulbs which are planted at; Extending upwardly above the cylindrical the proper depth. To facilitate planting at the body member H is a transversely arranged proper depth it is proposed to provide a bulb sethandle 18 supported between two legs [9 and 20 ter of simple construction and operation by. of ia U-shaped member 2l.'-

means of which the proper amount of soil may {i The lower portion of the U-shaped member 22 be removed for planting at the proper'depth. has secured thereto two scraping or cleaning It is, therefore, an object of the present in- 201 members 22 and 23 which extend downwardly vention to provide an improved bulb setter. "within the cylindrical body member II to sub- A further object of the present invention is to stantiallythe lower serrated edge [2. Located at provide an improved bulb setter which is simple substantially right angles to the U-shaped memtooperate and which is economical to manuher 2! there is a transversely arranged support ac strap having end portions 25 and 26 which ex- Other and further objects of the present inteiid over the flange I3 of the cylindrical body vention subsequently will become apparent by m'embe'r H. The strap 24 is connected to the U- reference to the following descriptiontaken in shaped member 2| by means "of a suitable bolt conjunction with the accompanying drawings 21; rivet. The member 24" adjacent the exwherein: tremities is provided with downwardly extending Figure 1 is a side view of a bulb setter con- Z projections 28 and 29 which are located so as to structed in accordance with the present invene age the apertures [4 in the flange l3 of the tion; r Y drical body member II. It will be noted Figure 2 is a top view as seen in the direction ii "i fO gure 3 that if an upwa d f rce is mad of the arrows along the line 2-2 of Figure 1; 3% on the handle 18, that the projections 28 and 29 and a ma be withdrawn from the apertures l4. By Figure 3 is a view partially in cross-section as "h ll fl the ce securely with one hand by seen in the direction of the arroyvs along the rasping, the handle I 6 it is noW p ss to rotate stepped line 3-3 of Figure 1. 'thfeahandle 18, thereby to cause the blades 22 to Referring to the drawings it will be seen that 15'1" fslcrape or clean the inside surface of the cylindrithe bulb setter constructed in accordance with 1 member the present invention has a tubular body and .3 0 ay he a u t it s desired cupping member II which at its lower extremity usethedevice to form holes for the planting of is provided with a serrated or scalloped cutting l ctio o the proper indihianon the edge I2. The'upper end of the tubular member; 3 S Of e Cylindrical y member "1 first H is provided with a horizontal flange l3 having" made i accorda ce h the ype 0f bulb be therein a plurality of apertures l4. Near the top planted. Thereupon the device is set in approxia cylindrical member I I is provided with a semimatly the position where the hole is to be made. circular channel l5 for receiving the arcuate ex-" The ghandle I3 is grasped and rotateduntil the tremity of ahandle l5 which is formed of wire or 5 project-ions 28 and 29 engage the apertures I4 light rod material. Preferably, the arcuate exand the rim I 3. A downward pressure-is now tremities of the handle [6 are provided with upapplied to the handle ill to force-the cylindrical struck or flattened enlargements l! for securely ibody portion H to the proper depth in the 'earth. locking the handle in the channel I5. This man-Li Updifreaching the proper depth the'handle 18 her of constructing the handle and supporting is again rotated so as to free the outer's'urface 3 of the cylindrical member I I from the remaining soil. Obviously, of course, a twisted motion may also be employed in pressing the cylindrical member down into the soil to the proper depth. Having reached the proper depth the handle (8 is then raised to withdraw from the ground the soil now contained within the inner surfaces of the cylindrical member H. In order to clean out the soil thus removed, the handle I6 is heldrigidly and the handle I8 is rotated so as to cause the scraping and cleaning members 22 and 23 to loosen the soil within the cylindrical member l l so that it drops.

for use to cut or form another bulb settingihole. 1'

While for the purpose of illustrating and describing the present invention, a preferred embodiment has been illustrated inthe drawings M it is to be understood that the invention is not The bulb setter is then ready face of said body memberfor rotation relative thereto, a handle secured to said blades, said handle being positioned above said body and extending in a diametrical direction, a latching member carried by said handle to latch said to be limited thereby since such variations in the components employed and their arrangement are contemplated as may be commensurate with "the spirit and scope of the invention set forth in the accompanying claims.

What I desire to protect by United States Letters Patent is claimed as follows:

l. A ga'rdenersimplement comprising a tubu larbody member having at one end a fiange, and" at the opposite end a cutting edge; a pair-of" scraping blades positioned adjacent to the inner surface of said body member-for'rotary movement therein, a handle secured tosaid blades,

and a member carried by said handle for latch-'- ing said handle to the flange of said body memhandle against rotation relative to said body member, said latching member extending over said rim to limit the axial movement of said handle relative to said body in latched and unlatched positions, and means formed in said rim for cooperation with said latching member.

5.- An implement for forming holes in the soil to the desired depth for planting bulbs comprising a tubular body member having at one end ai'sawtooth cutting edge and at the other end a rim, said rim having therein a plurality of perforations, a pair 'of longitudinally extending scraping blades mounted adjacent the inner surface of" said body member for rotation relative her, when said handle is moved axially towards said flange, said handle being arranged to be rotated when moved away from said flange, thereby to actuate said blades. I V

2.,A gardeners implement comprising a tub'urlar body member having at one end a cutting edge, and at the opposite edge a flange, a pair of scraping blades positioned adjacent the inner surface of said body member, a handle secured to'said blades for rotating said blades relative to said body'member, and a latching member carried by said handle for latching said handle to said flange of said body when said handleis moved axially towards said flange, said flange being provided with means for cooperating with said latching member whereby said handle is held against rotational movement relative to said bodymember.

3. A gardeners implement for forming in the soil holes of desired depth for planting bulbs therein comprising a tubular body member having a flange, a laterally extending handle mounted on said body member adjacent said flange a pair of scraping blades positioned adjacent the'inner surface of said body, member for rotary movement therein, a second' handle secured to said blades, and a. latching member 'carriedby said second handle for latching said thereto, a handle secured to said blades, said handle being positioned above said body and extending in a diametrical direction, and alatchin member carried by said handle and having projections to engage the perforations of said rim to'latch said handle against rotation when said handle is moved downwardly.

6. An implement for forming holes of desired depth in the soil for planting bulbs comprising a tubular body member having at one end a cutting edge and at the other end a rim, said rim having a plurality of perforations therein, a pairof longitudinally extending scraping blades mounted adjacent the inner surface of said body member for rotation relative thereto, a handle secured to said blades, saidhandle being positioned upon said body and extending in a diametrical-direction, a latching member carried by said handle and having projections to engage the; perforations of said rim when said handle is moved toward said rim, and a second handle mounted to extend radially outward from said .body member in the proximity of said rim.

EARL C; CHATFIELD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent: 1

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

